Assimilation
Assimilation was the process by which the Borg added new members and new technology to the Collective. Borg assimilation was predatory; every species the Borg encountered was assessed to determine whether its biological and/or technological distinctiveness was considered "worthy of being added to the Collective's perfection". If found to be so, the species was set upon and forcibly assimilated; the Collective considered the species' will in the matter "irrelevant". As of the 24th century, the only species known to have been considered unworthy of assimilation were the Kazon. Procedure The Borg generally did not assimilate individuals, and instead preferred to target larger groups such as the crews of starships and the populations of planets. When in the presence of a small number of individuals, Borg drones would ignore them altogether. This policy would remain in effect until an individual demonstrated some quality found worthy by the Collective, or posed a threat to Borg activities. For example, when the USS Raven was first detected by a Borg vessel it was disregarded. By the time the Raven was detected a second time, its crew had developed technologies to elude Borg sensors, making them a more worthy target. The Borg made exceptions and assimilated individuals when circumstances required it, as when they chose Jean-Luc Picard to serve as an intermediary in 2366, or to allow a small party of drones to bolster their ranks. When engaging a starship, a Borg vessel presumed tactical superiority and locked onto it with a tractor beam. With the target immobilized, the Borg defeated its shields and either extracted sections of the ship with a cutting beam, transported drones to key areas, or both. With the crew of a vessel assimilated or otherwise subdued, the Borg stripped the ship down for parts to incorporate into their own technology. If possible the assimilated ship was towed into a hangar aboard the attacking Borg ship. It was rare for the Borg to keep an assimilated vessel intact, except in instances where a Borg crew was forced to abandon their own ship and commandeer their victims'. The Collective typically did not seek out individuals or starships, assimilating them only as encountered. It was only known to actively target worlds and civilizations, ranging from small colonies to the entire realm of fluidic space. The tactics of these large-scale assimilation missions varied. An entire fleet was dispatched to assimilate Species 10026, but on two occasions, a single ship was assigned to conquer the entire Federation. If the Borg did not choose to hold an assimilated planet, they removed its populace and any artificial structures from the surface. Alternately, they could maintain a presence on the planet, terraforming its environment to meet their needs. Technique Little is known about the Borg assimilation technique prior to 2368. Observations since that time demonstrated that the Borg assimilated an individual by projecting a pair of assimilation tubules into the victim's neck, injecting nanoprobes into the bloodstream that began connecting the new drone to the hive mind. This was accomplished the moment a Borg drone was within arm's reach of the target. Only humanoids have been seen as members of the Borg Collective. During initial stages of assimilation, Borg nanoprobes began attaching themselves to the victim's red blood cells, allowing them to circulate throughout the body. Within minutes, the nanoprobes spread visibly through the capillaries of the victim's skin. The victim, at this point, still retained his or her individuality and had virtually none of the Borg's standard array of defenses. Left unchecked, the nanoprobes soon begin self-replicating and producing larger constructs that form the necessary Borg implants. Among the first major structures assembled was the neural transceiver, allowing the Collective to tap into the victim's mind and usurp control of his body. By this time, the new drone's skin coloration had changed to a pale gray and some small implants began to emerge inside and outside the body. The drone was then taken to a Borg facility to have larger implants installed including tools, armor, and mechanical limbs. The assimilation process is extremely painful both emotionally and physically for the victim. Treatment and Defenses Methods for preventing or overcoming Borg assimilation are of paramount importance to cultures that refuse to abandon members of their society captured by the Collective. In 2153, Phlox determined that exposing himself to omicron radiation could disable the nanoprobes injected into his body by drones using technology originating in 2373. This method was uniquely applicable to Phlox due to his Denobulan physiology, which made him unusually resistant to assimilation and immune to the toxic effects of omicron radiation. The most basic, and arguably most practical remedy was to euthanize the intended victim either prior to or in the early minutes of assimilation, before the nanoprobes could install standard Borg defenses. During the Borg's raid of the USS Enterprise-E, Captain Picard saw this approach to be the lesser of two evils, believing his assimilated crewmen were irrecoverable under the circumstances and better off dying as individuals than living as drones. When rescuing Picard himself in 2367, the crew of the USS Enterprise-D were not under direct attack by the Borg and therefore had the luxury of considering other options. Upon connecting his neural net to Picard's Borg implants, Lt. Commander Data was able to isolate Picard's individual mind from the Collective. Disconnecting Picard from his implants was considered a risky procedure, but upon the destruction of the cube that assimilated him the Collective lost its hold on him. Physical recovery was swift, although the psychological trauma was more severe. Category:Technology